Mark Eyking

[Atlantic Canada, November 2nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Conservative job cuts continue in Atlantic Canada.

First it was DFO, then Service Canada, then ACOA, and now it is Transport Canada. We found out Marine Atlantic has sold two ships to a company in India, when there was a Canadian company that could have bid to dismantle these ships right in Cape Breton.

Not only have we lost 60 good-paying trade jobs, but this would also have been a great economic boost to a local industry. Why is the Prime Minister letting another minister bleed jobs away from Atlantic Canada?

[Business of Supply, October 25th, 2011]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for all the hard work he has been doing on the agriculture file, going across the country, working on committee and fighting for farmers and for reliable food production.

It is very clear what the Conservatives are doing by dismantling the Wheat Board. However, what is also being exposed here is what they are planning on doing with the other marketing boards across the country, with the SM5. I think it will be blatantly clear what the United States, with its subsidized grains, will be doing with those SM5 marketing boards.

My hon. colleague lives in Guelph, which is the centre of a very large agriculture area. What will happen when the government dismantles the other marketing boards? What will happen in southern Ontario when the flood of eggs, milk and chicken start coming across the border when the marketing board is dismantled?

[Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, October 21st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government is slashing ACOA. Its budget has been cut by almost 40% from 2005 levels, which is stunning, given that the Prime Minister stated in his 2006 campaign, “We're going to maintain the budget for ACOA”. This is at a time when the ACOA minister is hiring defeated Conservative candidates at top-rate salaries.

Would the minister table a list of all ACOA cuts and, along with that list, a list of individuals hired by ACOA since the Conservatives came into power?

[Points of Order, October 20th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, in response to a question I asked in question period, the minister made note that no defeated Conservative candidates have been hired by ACOA. To that end, could I ask the minister to table a list of persons hired by ACOA and ECBC since the Conservatives came to power?

[Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, October 20th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the House is well aware of the cuts the government has made to Atlantic Canada: first search and rescue, second Service Canada, third DFO and now ACOA. The shocking news is even worse. ACOA has become a dumping ground for a number of failed Conservative candidates and to make room for this bunch, it is firing hard-working employees at ACOA.

Why the cushy jobs for failed Conservative candidates and pink slips for hard-working maritimers?

[Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act, October 20th, 2011]

Madam Speaker, I am a farmer. I know what will happen with the Canadian Wheat Board and I am concerned about what will happen to other marketing boards. This is a slippery slope.

Yesterday the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board said, “we want to provide the same freedom for farmers right across the country”.

My question for the hon. member is this. Does she see the slippery slope that is happening today with the Canadian Wheat Board? Are chickens and milk next? What is happening with the government? It does not believe in boards. I hope farmers across the country are watching this slippery slope because other boards are next. What comments does the hon. member have on that?

[Nova Scotia Aboriginal Male Athlete of the Year Award, October 5th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I stand in the House today to recognize Aaron Floyd Prosper, a 15-year-old Mi'kmaq student from the community of Eskasoni First Nation and a recent recipient of the 2011 Nova Scotia Aboriginal Male Athlete of the Year Award.

Aaron is a grade 10 honours student at Chief Allison M. Bernard Memorial High School and is the son of Floyd and Dawna Prosper. He began playing hockey when he was just four years old with Eskasoni Minor Hockey Association and then he moved on to Cape Breton minor hockey.

Aaron has a passion for drumming and is asked to perform at many events. His presentation of “Making of the Mi'kmaw Drum” won awards here in Ottawa. In addition, Aaron has been competing in golf and kick-boxing tournaments and he plays the piano. He has also developed his own workshop called “Talent is Never Enough”.

Aaron has brought great honour to his family, his friends and community. He is a true testament of hard work and focus, and he is an inspiration to us all.

[Bras d'Or Lakes, October 3rd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to recognize the beautiful Bras d'Or Lakes in Cape Breton, a body of water that forms a true inland sea, which is special to many of us. This unique lake covers over 1,000 square kilometres.

In Dresden, Germany, on July 29, an international committee designated the Bras d'Or Lakes as the 16th UNESCO biosphere reserve in Canada. This designation results from the tireless efforts of many that started back in 2005. I, along with the member for Cape Breton—Canso, would like to send out a special recognition to the Bras d'Or Lake Biosphere Reserve Association, whose passion and dedication was a big part of bringing this all together.

Celebrations were held at various communities on the weekend of September 17, featuring ceremonies and performances that represented the four leading cultures of the Bras d'Or Lakes: Mi'kmaq, Scottish, French and English. It was a great weekend, one in which I was proud to take part.

Congratulations to all who made this designation possible.

[Employment, September 23rd, 2011]

Help us. Help us.

[Employment, September 23rd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I asked a question yesterday in the House about the loss of jobs in Cape Breton.

The answer I got from the Service Canada minister was, “Tough luck, I am taking your jobs.”

My question is for the Minister of ACOA. If he will not stand up to the callous actions of his colleague who is stealing away our jobs, what will he do to recover the more than 10,000 jobs that have been lost, stolen, in the forestry, automotive, pharmaceutical and service industries? What will the Minister of ACOA do to help Cape Breton with those jobs that were lost under the government?